Machine for making tubes from hollow ingots



(No ModeL) S. P. M. TASKER.

MAGHINE POR MAKING TUBES FROM HOLLOW INGOTS.

No. 33 l,583. 0 v Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

N, PETERS Pnon-Limc m hun washin ton, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN P. M. TASKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING TUBES FROM HOLLOW INGOTS.

SPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 33l,583, dated December 1, l885.

Application filed July 20, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN P. M. TASKER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and County of Philadelphia, and State 'of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain Improvements in Machines for Making Tubes from Hollow Metal Ingots, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is the manufacture of a tube from a hollow cylindriforn metal ingot by rolling, either hot or cold, by means 'of the machine hereinafter described, the said ingot down and out upon a mandrel at least of the required length of the tube to be formed, thereby compacting and Consolidating the substance of the metal of the ingot, thinning o'r reducing the latter in thickness, and elongating it until the required proportions are attained. The ingots which I employ are tubular,or ofa hollow cylindriform structure,of any metal, and either open at both ends, closed at one end, or closed at one end and provided through such closed end with an aperture for the traction-rod of a mandrel.

As my machine is of especial applicability to the making of steel tubes, 1 contemplate also the enployment of a steel cast ingot of a character invented by nie, two applications for patents for which were filed in the United States Patent Office upon the 14th day of May, 1885, and respectively numbered 165,(395 and 165,(396.

e Heretofore in the art of metal rolling two or more pairs or sets of equal-sized concavefaced rolls, the two rolls constituting the re spective sets or pairs of which, being placed the one over the other, have crossed each other-that is to say, have been adjusted in such manner that vertical planes respectively projected from their respective longitudinal aXes have intersected each other at other than a right angle-have been, in successive disposition in the same machine, employed for rounding, straightening, and sizing tubes and rods, the said tubes or rods having been passed through the passes of the successive sets in a direction which may, for the purposes of eX- planation, be described as right angular to a common imaginary longitudinal axis of each pair *or rolls, or in a direction much more nearly right angular to than parallel with the longitudinal axis of each individual roll of Serial No. 172042. (No model.)

each pair. In such a machine all of the rolls upon a given side of the line of feed of the rod have, moreover, been arranged in a conmon frame,with their axes parallel, and all of the rolls upon the other side of said line of feed have likewise been arranged in another common frame,with their axes parallel, but augularly disposed with respect to, or crossing, so to speak, the axes of the other series, the passes of all the sets having been of the same diameter, and a common simultaneous adjust ment of all of the passes having been the only adj ustment thereof possible. Heretofore, again, a pair or set of equalsized coucave faced rolls, placed one over the other so as to cross, have been employed for rounding, straightening, and smoothing tubes and rods, the said rods or tubes having been introduced and passed through a pass extending longitudinally between or through, so to speak, the rolls, and in a direction coincidcnt with their common aXis as opposed to having been passed through them in a direction right angular to said common axis of the set. Heretoi'ore, also, in the art of metal rolling two or three equal-sized rolls having concave-working-faces have been arranged in a suitable housing obliquely side by side or one over the other, or spirally, as it were, around a common central imaginary longitudinal aXis of the set, so that the axes of the respective rolls forming such set have been inclined to each other in different planes, and each and all at an angle to the said common longitudinalaxis, which is that of the article to be rolled, the said article having been introduced through a pass extending longitudinally between or through, so to speak, the rolls, (which pass, as is well known, is an extended straight bearing obtained between the roll-faces in a line bisecting the angle of inclination of the rolls,) and the said machines, as such, having been employed for rolling, finishing, reducing, straightening, and snoothing rods, tubes, shafting, and other cylindrical or tubular articles which receive a spiral or combined rotary and progressive movement from the rolls, which not only form the article to a true cylindrical shape, but at the same time feed it forward.

Assuming a set of rolls of either character last above described as a given type, I may IOO assume a set of rolls ot' the character first above described as another given type, and may define the distinguishing eharacteristic of the two types to be the direction in which the article to be rolled is passed through the set of rolls-that is to say, whether it be passed through them in a direction right angular to what I may term their common axis, as in the case of the rolls first described, or parallel or coincident with said common axis, as in the case of either of the sets ofrolls last above described.

I have discovered that a superior merchantable tube of metal, but especially a steel tube, can be economically and successfully manufactured,either from a tubular metal, or especially from a hollow steel cast ingot, by employing,in conjunctionwith aset ofconcavefaced rolls, the rolls of which set cross each other, a mandrel adapted to be rotated with the ingot upon it, and at least of the required length ot' the tube to be formed from said ingot, which nandrel is passed through the passes of the sets in a direction right angular to their common aXis, and upon which mandrel the substance of the metal of the ingot is by the rolls compacted and consolidated, and al'ter a sutlicient number of repeated passes, the rolls being each time set down a sufficient distance, the ingot itself thinned or reduced in thickness and elongated until the required proportions are attained.

Apparatus embodying a good form of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, and described in this specification, the particular subject-matter claimed as novel being hereinafter definitel y specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of an apparatus Conveniently embodying a good form of my improvements, an ingot having a closed advanee end being shown in position upon the mandrel and undergoing reduction in its passage through the rolls in the direction ot' the arrow upon it. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of the apparatus represented in Fig. 1, section being supposed in the plane of the dotted line x x of Fig. 1, and sight being taken in the direction of the arrows upon said line, the reduction of the ingot being also illustrated, and the latter being closed at one end, and provided through its closed end with an aperture, through which the traction-rod of the mandrel is represented as having been passed. In Fig. l it is to be assumed that the mandrel is forced from behind through the rolls; in Fig. 2 it is to be assumed that the mandrel is being both forced and drawn, or drawn only. Fig. 3 is an end elevational View of the apparatus of Fig. 1, sight being taken from the right-hand end of said Fig. l, but such a nandrel and ingot as are represented in Fig. 2 being shown in the pass. Fig. 4: is a side elevational View of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. '5 is a face View of one of the rolls and of one of the adjustable boxings in which one of its aXles is journaled, the said boxing and the radial adjusting arm thereon and a portion of one of the cylindriform segments of the housing and of the projecting flange thereon being represented in a sectional view projected on a plane which passes through both the aXis of the roll and that of the radial adjusting-arm. The View is in the nature of an eXplanatory diagram, and is neither drawn to scale nor isometrically correct. Fig. 6 is a left-hand end View of the parts represented in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 isa detail illustrating how the mandrel may be swiveled to a mandrel-head orcross-bar, S, of a mandrel frame or carriage.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. q

In the drawings, A represents any suit-able bed or foundation for supporting the housings within which the rolls are journaled.

M is the advance portion of a cylindrieal mandrel, which is at least of the length of the tube to be produced, and which is adapted to be rotated upon its longitudinal axis by any convenient means as, for instancc, by swiveling its rear cxtremity in the mandrel frane or carriage S.

In the drawings no representation beyond simply that of the mandrel-frame head S, as shown in Fig. 7, is made of any means for oecasioning the advance or retraction of the mandrel through the pass of the rolls, for the reason that I assume such representation to be unnecessary, because the various appliances in common use for actuating the mandrels of rolling-mills are well known to ironmasters, and because I employ any such de- Viee. I assume it, howevcr, to be understood that a suitable mechanism, which may be of any preferred character, is to be applied to the mandrel to cause its advance or retraction at any predetermined speed through the pass of the rolls.

B is an ingot upon the mandrcl.

G are two longitudinally-extending parallel housings vertically erected from the bed or foundation, and either cast solid therewith,or bolted or otherwise secured thezeto.

The housings,i1 the form ofapparatus shown in the drawings, support a pair of rolls which are marked D, and which are of equal size and concavei'aced. The said rolls are respectively adjusted one above the other, and their axes, whatever for the time being be the fixed adjustment of the rolls, must always cross at an angle other than a right anglc,and which is such as to cause the concave workingsurfaces of the said two rolls to always present, in any desired angular relationship not right angular, a pass which, viewed from the end of the machine, is, as shown in Fig. 3, practically circular, whatever its diameter may be, for of course the rolls separate and their pass increases diametrically as the angle of the axes increases.

The journaling or housing of the rolls and the means for adj usting the said rolls is conveniently as follows: Each housing in the re- IOO IIO

IZO

i derstood by a reference to the drawings.

gion of its support of the rolls has preferably the form of a segment of a vertical cylinder, the said cylindrieal segments being marked c in the drawings, or, at least, the said housings are vertica lly cylindrically eoncaved on their adjacent faces, the curvature being the same in each,while the inner faces of said cylindrical segments of the housings are separated from each oth'er a distance equal to the diameter of a circle an are of which corresponds with the are of their inner curved cylindrical faces-that is to say, a circle whose circunference is equal to that of the base of a supposed cylinder introduced vertically, so as to fill the space between the cylindrical segments of the housing. The curved inner walls of both the segmental portions c therefore have a common central vertical aXis which is midway between them. The aXles d of the rolls are pref'erably entered within adjustable boXings or berings F, which, as shown in Fig. 5, are respectively fitled with respect to and adapted to have both a rotary and a longitudinal movement within reversely-disposed segmental ways H, forned in opposite pairs in the respective cylindrical segments of the housings, and two of which are as to each housing projected in what may be termed diagonally-quartered relationship, upon a common radius from a common center, which is concentrie with what I have characterized the common longitudinal aXis of the rolls of the set under consideration, and is about -midway of the Vertical depth of the said cylindrical segments, as will be more clearly un- By virtue of these pairs of reversely-disposed segmental ways within which the axles of the rolls are, as shown, entered, the movement ot' the pair of rolls for increasing or diminishing the diameter of their pass becomes both certain and easy.

To render easy the adjustment of the rolls, I have devised the following convenient means ofadjustment. Aradially-projectingthreaded adjusting-arm, f, is attaehed to each aXleboxing, and passes through a doubly-curved slot, z', formed in a doublyeurved fiange, I, projecting from the exterior face of each eylindrical segment, as a reference to the drawings will also make clear.

j arejan-nuts applied to the radial adjusting-arms to secure the looking of the arm to which they are respectively applied at given positions with respect to ils range of play within the slot of its fiange.

A suitable arrangement or disposition of the segmental ways for the axle boxings with respect to the cylindriform segments of the housings is represented in the drawings, and will be easily nnderstood by a reference thereto. The corresponding segnental ways in opposite cylindrical segments are of course diagonally opposite.

The segmental ways, aXle-boXings adj ustable therein, radial nut-provided arms connected with said boxings, and projecting slotted fianges for maintaining the arms when locked, and consequently of the aXles and rolls in predetermined positions, together constitute sinply a composite roll-adjusting contrivance, the office of which is to permit of and render easy the adjustment of the pair of rolls at different relative angles, and consequently, by reason of the play of their boxings in the reversely-disposed segmental ways, nearer together or farther apart, so as to increase or lessen the diametric measurement of the pass between them, and adapt then for employment with mandrels and ingots of varying diameters. Any other adjusting device Operating to a similar result may, however, be substitnted in the stead of the foregoing. It is proper also to remark that the boxings may be dispensed with and the aXles otherwise loused, or entered simply in the segment-al ways, in which event means for fixed adjustment of the rolls is to be applied to the axles, and not to the boxings.

The housings constitute a most convenient training, but the segmental ways may be forned independentlv ofor supported separately from the said housings.

Having now described what I believe to be a convenient embodiment of my invention, and at the same time described the operation of the machine, it is proper for me to add that I believe myself to be the first to use a mandrel capable of rotationaboutits longitudinal axis, and ofthe length of the tube which is to be produced, in conjunction with a set of augularly-disposed or crossing concave-faced rolls, by which arrangement it is possible to reduce the external diameter of an ingot placed upon the mandrel, and by setting` down the rolls after each pass to effecta continued reduction until said ingot becomes a tube of the desired thiekness of substance and of no greater length than the mandrel.

It is of course obvious that while the housing for containing and the means for retaining the adjusted rolls, which I have represented and described, are well adapted for the purpose, yet that they are not essential to my invention. The special adjusting devices described, or others Operating to substantially the same result, however, pernit ot' the adjustment of the rolls to acconnnodate any size of ingot within their range of separation.

As already stated, the mandrel, which may be of any desired kind, may be driven at any predetermined speed and by any power. XVhen driven with the ingot upon it, it occasions the actuation of therolls, both of which are idle-rolls, in that they are not positively driven, but are simply caused to rotate by the frietion of the ingot.

The ingot may be rolled down either hot or cold.

The spiral or revolving progressive motion to which the ingot on the n'andrel, and with it the mandrel to which it for the time being adheres, is subjected, prevents finning or irregularities of any kind, and therefore tends IOO IIO

to produce a uniformiy-eyiindric and very marketable tube.

The mandrel may be extracted from the tube after finai rolling by stretehing the tube, byloosening the mandrei, and by extracting the latter by any suitable means.

It is proper to add that my machine without the mandrel is weil adapted for rounding, straightening, and finishing tubes and rods, and, if desired,by the adjustment of the roils, for redueing their diameters, it being simply necessary for any such employment of said machine that the mandrei should be removed and the product to be operated upon be manipulated in its stead through the pass between the roils.

I do not claim or seek herein,in connection with other features ofinvention, to cover the provision of positive meehanism for driving the rolls, as the same is made a feature of another application, designated by me Case A, No. 2, and executed and filed contemporaneousiy with this application.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- l. In a machine for making tubes from hoilow metal ingots, the combination of a pairof concave-faced rolls arranged with their axes inciined to each other, with a mandrel at least as long as the tube to be formed, and which is passed through the pass formed by the rolis in a direction right anguiar to their common aXis, substantialiy as set forth.

2. In a machine for making tubes from hol- 1ow metal ingots, the combination of apairof concave-faced roils arranged With their axes inclined to each other, with a mandrei adapted to be rotated with the ingot, at least as long as the tube to be formed, and which is passed through the pass formed by the rolis in a direction right anguiar to their common axis, sub` stantialiy as set forth.

3. In a machine for making tubes from hollow metal ingots, the combination of a pair of concave-faced rolis arranged with their axes inclincd to each other, housings for supporting said rolis, and reverseiy-disposed segmental ways for the axies of the rolls, substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine for making tubes from hollow metal ingots, the conbination of a pair of eoncave-faced rolls arranged with their axes inclined to each other, housings for supporting said rolls, reverseiy-disposed segnental ways for the axles of the rolls, and means for securing the fixed adjustment of the axics of the rolls with respect to said segnentai ways, substantialiy as set forth.

5. In a machine for making tubes from hoilow metal ingots, the combination of a pair of concave-faced roiis arranged with their aXes ineiined to each other, housings for supporting said roiis, reversely-disposed segmental ways formed in or connected with the framing, boxings, or bearings for the axies of the rolls adapted to said segmental ways, and adjusting-arms connected with both the axles of the rolis and the framing, substantially as set forth.

6. In a machine for making tubes from hoilow metal ingots, the combination of a pair of concave-faced rolis arranged with their aXes inelined to each other, a mandrel at least as long as the tube to be formed, and which is passed through the pass formed by the roils in a direction right anguiar to their common axis, and means for advancing and retracti ng the mandrel, substantially as set forth.

7. In a machine for making tubes from hollow metal ingots, the combination oi" a pair of concave-faced roiis arranged with their axes inclined to each other, a mandrel adapted to be rotated about its longitudinai axis, at least as long as the tube to be Termeti, and which is passed through the pass formed by the rolls in a direction right angular to their comnon axis, and means i'or advancing and retracting the mandrel, substantiaiiy as set forth.

8. In a machine for naking tubes from holiow metal ingots, the combination of a pair of concave-faeed roils arranged with their axes inclined to each other, housings for supporting said roils, reverse]y-disposed segmentai ways for the axles of the roiis a rotatable mandrei at least as long as the tube to be formed, and means for advancing and retracting the said mandrei through the pass i'ormed by the roils in a direction right angularto their common axis, substantiaiiy as set i'orth.

9. In a machine for making tubes from hoi- 10w metal ingots, the combination of a pair of concave-faced roiis arranged with their axes inclined to each other, housings for supporting said rolls, reverseiy-disposed segmentai ways for the axies of the roils, neans for securing the fixed adjustment of the axies of the roiis with respect to said segmentai ways, a rotatabie mandrel at least as long as the tube to be formed, and means for advancing and retracting the said mandrei through the pass 'ormed by the roils in a direction right augular to their common axis, substantiaily as set forth.

lO. In a machine for making tubes from hoilow metal ingots, the combination of a pair of concave-faced roils arranged with their axes inciined to each other, housings 'for supporting said rolis, reversely-disposed segmental ways formed in or connected with the framing, boXings, or bearings for the axies of the roiis adapted to said segmental ways, adjust- I ing-arms connected with both the axles of the roils and the training, a rotatable mandrel at least as long as the tube to be formed, and means for advancing and retracting the said mandrei through the pass 'formed by the roiis in a direction right anguiar to their common axis, substantially as set forth.

In testimon y whercof I have hereunto signed my name.

STEPHEN P. M. TASKER.- In presence of J. BONSALL TAYLon, JOHN JOLLEY, J r.

IOO 

